Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-01
Villas REPORT.
Continued from Third Page.


snd the current year will make consider
| able additions to the foregoing statistics.
| It is hoped that the fraudulent practices
which in many cases were maintained for
years will oe wholly ersdicated. The act
of 1878 wisely provided aur'e authority
! for the requisite course Of action, but the
necessity for lis exertion had not been
made ma ifest until the changes in office
during 1855 revealed the numerous con-
trasts between the compensation claimed
| by new iucumoents upon sn honest reck-
oning and what had been paid TO their
predecessors. The entire number of
cases in which orders had previously been
made, beginning February IL, 1879, was
but thirty seven, and the aggregate
amount reclaimed by them but Sl9,-
| $50 IS.
PosTMAsTERs' ACCOUNTS AND RETURNS.
The experience of the department and
the Auditor in dealing with postm asters'
accounts, and the revision of the regula-
tions for new publication, directed at
tention to the irrational and cumbersome
methods in which these accounts have
been kept and returns made, and to the
lack of proper forms and instructions
acc unit books have been heretofore sup
piled ooIy to postmasters of the first and
second classes, leaving tue great body OF
tie postmasters to provide themselves
with everything but the blanks
for quarterly returns. All postmas-
tiers were required to keep general
or ledger accounts with the United
States, in which certain items were to be
entered. They We're required also to
keep separate books in which should be
entered q record of all stamps and
stamped paper, of all postal books, blanks
or other property, OF all boX rents. and
of all other rents, emoluments and
moneys received by them in any way.
They were required to make qusrterly re-
turn of their ACCOMPLISHMENT" as one
thing, and quarterly statements Of their
! general postal accounts as another;
anu were epj0lned to "particular care"
not to INCLUDE in the quatterl. estate
ment" any items entered ia tn quarterly
| accounts current" but to enter in the
general postal account" all the items
pertaining to it, and all payments on
account of the quarter for which il was
| rendered.
CLAIMS OF POsTMAsTERS
| for losses "Of money order funds, postage
stamps, stamped envelopes, newspaper
wrappers, and postal cards. resulting
from burglary, fire, or other unavoidable
casualty, an of money order funds lost
or stolen while in transit by mail, as ad
Indicated by the Department, are shown
oy the report of the Assistant Attorney
General. 1t exhibits the &C ion in each
case, with the reason therefor, as required
by the statute. Several clsims not within
the provisions of the act o! 1882 were con-
sidered and allowed under special acts of
the last Congress for the relief Of the
claimants respectively named therein.
The number Of claims considered during
the year was 607, Of which NJ were al
lowed in whole or in part, and 1876 wholly
disallOWed. The amount Of Claims pre-
senIed in which final action was taken
was $5l 8l4 AZ ard the amount allowed
was $40 600 55-SI0,99 81 for money
order funds, and $29, 604 81 for stamps
and stamped paper. T0is total exceeds
the like aggregate for last year by SI2,-
2l3 81; in part owing to consi cradle ST.
lowances in pursuance If special acts. OF
the money order funds, { IT which credit
wss allowed, S75 SO were lost by fire,
$50 Is fhY 0rm, Sc l28 15 bya burglary,
ana 81 76l 90 in transit. OF the stamps
ana stamped paper the losses covered by
allowed credits were SIS, 65l SO by fire,
S20,7 SO by burglary, aud 5000 60 by
storm or food. OF the amounts I'm hraced
in claims allowed IN part, So, 076.52 were
disalloWed.
THE TRANSPORTATION OF THE MAILS.
The large area OF our country and the
equality of privileges enjoyed in all parts
Of it, with the corresponding diffusion of
all the advantages, accompanied by all |
the demands Of high civilization, have |
caused the gradual augmentation of our
system CT mail TRANSPORTATION to its pres
emf immensely and continually press its
greater extension. The most trust |
worthy statistics at command show that |
all the residue of the globe possesses no
more miles of railroads employed in mail |
carriage than the United States alone,
and that no other one nation maintains |
e-querter the amount of other methods |
OF mail transportation. Yet, year Oy year
these services increase in extent, and, ne
in cost.
In railroad transportation there was an
additional employment of 70l6 miles OF
newly built roads, lying in the following
states TO the number of miles respectively
stated: Kansas, 1895 06; Nebrasks,
754 sc; Texas, SOB IS; Illinois, SIC As;
VI tuHeeOtoi ii 20: ~ NdJ 000 90; rlOI4uHj
27I; Oregon, 268 SO; ana In the Terri
tory Of Dskots, 449 IS; the increased
cost of which, not vet entirely adjusted,
Is estimated to be 1904, 166 40.
The prospect for the current and the
coming year is of large additions TO the
abroad service, doubtless an average Of
5000 miles IN each. Already, up to the
'lsi of Oct, b r, new service has
9een ordered on 2555 miles s1Ece the be-
ginning of July
The fast mail service gained an impor-
ant addition by the facilitation t if ected
between Pittsburg, ST. Louis and Kansas
Jity, and most of the south west territory.
arrangement was made for specisl mail
rain from Pittsburgh to S. Louis, and
mother thence to Kansas City, whereby
he eastern mail is delivered at the latter
'lace in the forenoon instead of at night,
8 Heretofore, and in time, by the consid-
rate accommodation of the outgoing !
Dads in deferring somewhat their morn
ng hours of departure from Kansas City, i
0 effect immediate connections for the {
rest southwest and California; resulting
q the gain of day to the business inter
SITS of that section and their eastern cor {
espondents.
THE STAR ROUTE TRANSPORTATION /